1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter including:
a mobile frame, PA1 a draw bar intended to connect said agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter to a towing vehicle and itself connected to the frame by means of an articulation in such a way that it can pivot about an upward-directed axis of pivoting, PA1 a harvesting mechanism connected to the mobile frame and including: PA1 transmission members intended, among other things, to impart movement to the conditioning units and comprising a transmission box extending between the two conditioning units and including for each of these: PA1 the coupling connecting the inner end of the first conditioning member of one conditioning unit to the corresponding first output shaft of the transmission box is an elastic coupling especially allowing impacts to be absorbed and vibrations of said first conditioning member and of said first output shaft to be filtered; PA1 the transmission device of each second conditioning member of one conditioning unit includes a pivoting lateral casing situated at the outer end of said second conditioning member; PA1 said transmission device of each second conditioning member of one conditioning unit additionally includes a transmission shaft coupling the corresponding second output shaft to the pivoting lateral casing; PA1 said transmission shaft is coupled to the corresponding second output shaft by means of an elastic coupling especially allowing impacts to be absorbed and vibrations of said transmission shaft and of said second output shaft to be filtered; PA1 the pivoting lateral casing includes an endless transmission the driving wheel of which is coupled to the transmission shaft and the receiving wheel of which is coupled to the second conditioning member; PA1 the endless transmission of the pivoting lateral casing is a chain drive; PA1 the longitudinal axis of said transmission shaft is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the corresponding second output shaft; PA1 the pivoting lateral casing can pivot substantially about the longitudinal axis of the corresponding second output shaft so as to allow the second conditioning member to move away from the first conditioning member while maintaining drive to said second conditioning member; PA1 the pivoting lateral casing is a substantially leaktight casing containing a lubricant so as to reduce the maintenance of the endless transmission; PA1 the second conditioning member of one conditioning unit is connected at its inner end to a pivoting arm capable of pivoting about an axis of pivoting extending close to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding second output shaft and substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis so as to allow said second conditioning member to move away in an at least substantially parallel manner from the first conditioning member; PA1 the articulation defining the axis of pivoting of the pivoting arm is an elastic articulation especially making it possible to absorb impacts and to filter out vibrations coming from said second conditioning member; PA1 the pivoting of the second conditioning member of one conditioning unit allowed by the pivoting lateral casing and the pivoting arm takes place against the action of an elastically deformable member the intensity of the return action of which can be altered using an adjustment device, and this allows the second conditioning member to move away from the first conditioning member and to return to its initial position depending on the amount of cut plant matter passing between said conditioning members; PA1 the elastically deformable member consists of two coaxial torsion bars extending one in the extension of the other and the common longitudinal axis of which is coincident with the axis of pivoting of the pivoting arm; PA1 just one adjustment member is provided per conditioning unit and this acts on the adjacent ends of the corresponding two torsion bars; PA1 the transmission box includes: PA1 the transmission box includes a driveshaft coupled to the first single output shaft by means of a first pair of bevel gears and of an endless transmission, and to the second single output shaft by means of a second pair of bevel gears; PA1 the first pair of bevel gears and the second pair of bevel gears have their driving bevel gear in common, and this is borne by the driveshaft; PA1 the driving wheel of the endless transmission of the transmission box is coupled to the receiving bevel gear of the first pair of bevel gears while the receiving wheel of said endless transmission is coupled to the first single output shaft; PA1 the endless transmission of the transmission box is a chain drive; PA1 the driving wheel of the endless transmission of the transmission box and the receiving bevel gear of the first pair of bevel gears form a set which is coaxial with the second single output shaft but not rotationally connected thereto; PA1 the transmission box includes a third output shaft intended to drive the cutting mechanism; PA1 the driveshaft is coupled to the third output shaft by means of a third pair of bevel gears; PA1 the first pair of bevel gears, the second pair of bevel gears and the third pair of bevel gears have their driving bevel gear in common, and this is borne by the driveshaft, which especially allows having a less cumbersome transmission box; PA1 a transmission casing is provided and receives movement from the third output shaft and drives, from above, at least one of the cutting members of the cutting mechanism; PA1 the cutting member(s) driven by the transmission casing is (are) situated substantially in the vertical mid-plane of the machine directed in the direction of travel during work; PA1 the transmission box additionally includes an input casing with an input shaft coupled to the driveshaft by means of a pair of input bevel gears; PA1 the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft is directed upward; PA1 the input casing can occupy several positions by pivoting about the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft; PA1 the various angular positions that the input casing can occupy correspond to various positions that the draw bar can occupy by pivoting about the axis of pivoting defined by the articulation which connects the draw bar to the frame; PA1 the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft is substantially parallel to the axis of pivoting defined by the articulation connecting the draw bar to the frame; PA1 the input shaft of the input casing is coupled to a line of shafts which is at least partially borne by the draw bar; PA1 the transmission box includes: PA1 the second compartment has a drip pan for recovering the oil contained in the second compartment and splashed up by the endless transmission in order to transfer it into the first compartment; PA1 the first compartment has a communication with the second compartment allowing the oil contained in the first compartment to return to the second compartment; PA1 the transmission box additionally includes a pump pumping the oil contained in the first compartment into the input casing, the latter having a communication allowing oil contained therein to return to the first compartment; PA1 the elastic coupling coupling the transmission shaft of a second conditioning member to the second single output shaft includes a flange connected to said second single output shaft, the flange of the coupling of one of these second conditioning members being fixed to the corresponding end of said second single output shaft, while the flange of the coupling of the other second conditioning member is mounted so that it can slide on the corresponding end of said second single output shaft, such an arrangement makes it possible to attach these second conditioning members to the second output shaft even if these members are further apart than anticipated; PA1 the harvesting mechanism additionally includes a carrying structure and the transmission box is connected to said carrying structure by means of three elastic articulations especially making it possible to absorb impacts and to filter out vibrations coming from said harvesting mechanism or from said transmission box in order to protect these latter components; PA1 the harvesting mechanism additionally includes a carrying structure and the outer end of each first conditioning member is supported by said carrying structure by means of an elastic bearing especially making it possible to absorb impacts and filter out vibrations coming from said carrying structure or from the first conditioning member; PA1 the articulation connecting the draw bar to the frame extends substantially in the vertical mid-plane of the machine which plane is directed in the direction of travel during work; PA1 each second conditioning member extends substantially above the corresponding first conditioning member so that during work, the cut plant matter passing between the conditioning members is thrown out at the back of the agricultural harvesting machine.
a cutting mechanism comprising cutting members intended to cut the plant matter, and PA2 a conditioning device comprising two conditioning units extending substantially in the extension of one another and each equipped with two contra-rotating conditioning members which can move apart and between which the plant matter cut by the cutting members is intended to pass in order to be treated, PA2 a first output shaft connected, by means of a coupling, to the inner end of the first conditioning member close to the transmission box, and PA2 a second output shaft coupled, by means of a transmission device, to the second conditioning member. PA2 a first single output shaft each end of which forms the first output shaft of the corresponding conditioning unit and PA2 a second single output shaft each end of which forms the second output shaft of the corresponding conditioning unit; PA2 a first compartment containing the first pair of bevel gears, the second pair of bevel gears and, as appropriate, the third pair of bevel gears, and PA2 a second compartment containing the endless transmission;
2. Discussion of the Background
Such an agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter is known from American patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,349 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,865.
This known agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter includes a harvesting mechanism comprising a carrying structure to which is attached a cutting mechanism and a conditioning device.
The cutting mechanism includes two pairs of cutting members suspended from the carrying structure and placed one beside the other. The cutting members are driven in rotation by means of transmission members in such a way that the direction of rotation of two cutting members forming a pair converge, so as to form a windrow of cut plant matter.
The conditioning device includes two conditioning units each extending behind a pair of cutting members and substantially in the extension of one another. Each conditioning unit is equipped with two contra-rotating conditioning members which can move apart and between which the plant matter cut by the corresponding two cutting members is intended to pass in order to be treated. For this, two pairs of arms, each extending backward and downward and fixed to the carrying structure are provided.
Each conditioning member is connected at each of its ends to a corresponding arm by means of a cylindrical connection.
The conditioning units are also driven by means of the transmission members. For this, a transmission box is provided and this extends behind the cutting mechanism between the two conditioning units. The transmission box has a first output shaft and a second output shaft. Each end of the first output shaft is connected to the inner end of the first conditioning member of a corresponding conditioning unit by means of a cardan transmission shaft and each end of the second output shaft is connected to the inner end of the second conditioning member of a corresponding conditioning unit by means of another cardan transmission shaft.
This known agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter does however have some drawbacks.
This is because, to ensure that the conditioning members can move apart correctly to allow greater or lesser amounts of plant matter cut by the cutting members to pass through, it is necessary for the cardan transmission shafts to be of a certain length, and this requires a large amount of space between said conditioning units and means having to have conditioning units which are fairly narrow.
Such a design of an agricultural machine for harvesting plant matter does not allow optimum treatment of the cut plant matter because all of said cut plant matter has to be treated by the two fairly narrow conditioning units.
Furthermore, as described earlier, each conditioning member is connected at each of its ends to a corresponding arm by means of a bearing.
Bearing in mind the fact that there are a number of conditioning members, this construction is fairly expensive.